Project description:With the ongoing demographic and epidemiological transition, cancer is emerging as a major public health concern in India. This paper uses nationally representative household survey to examine the overall prevalence and economic burden of cancer in India. The age-standardized prevalence of cancer is estimated to be 97 per 100,000 persons with greater prevalence in urban areas. The evidence suggests that cancer prevalence is highest among the elderly and also among females in the reproductive age groups. Cancer displays a significant socioeconomic gradient even after adjusting for age-sex specifics and clustering in a multilevel regression framework. We find that out of pocket expenditure on cancer treatment is among the highest for any ailment. The average out of pocket spending on inpatient care in private facilities is about three-times that of public facilities. Furthermore, treatment for about 40 percent of cancer hospitalization cases is financed mainly through borrowings, sale of assets and contributions from friends and relatives. Also, over 60 percent of the households who seek care from the private sector incur out of pocket expenditure in excess of 20 percent of their annual per capita household expenditure. Given the catastrophic implications, this study calls for a disease-based approach towards financing such high-cost ailment. It is suggested that universal cancer care insurance should be envisaged and combined with existing accident and life insurance policies for the poorer sections in India. In concluding, we call for policies to improve cancer survivorship through effective prevention and early detection. In particular, greater public health investments in infrastructure, human resources and quality of care deserve priority attention.
Project description:PurposeRural cancer survivors may disproportionately experience financial problems due to their cancer because of greater travel costs, higher uninsured/underinsured rates, and other factors compared to their urban counterparts. Our objective was to examine rural-urban differences in reported financial problems due to cancer using a nationally representative survey.MethodsWe used data from three iterations of the National Cancer Institute's Health Information and National Trends Survey (2012, 2014, and 2017) to identify participants who had a previous or current cancer diagnosis. Our outcome of interest was self-reported financial problems associated with cancer diagnosis and treatment. Rural-urban status was defined using 2003 Rural-Urban Continuum Codes. We calculated weighted percentages and Wald chi-square statistics to assess rural-urban differences in demographic and cancer characteristics. In multivariable logistic regression models, we examined the association between rural-urban status and other factors and financial problems, reporting the corresponding adjusted predicted probabilities.FindingsOur sample included 1359 cancer survivors. Rural cancer survivors were more likely to be married, retired, and live in the Midwest or South. Over half (50.5%) of rural cancer survivors reported financial problems due to cancer compared to 38.8% of urban survivors (p = 0.02). This difference was attenuated in multivariable models, 49.3 and 38.7% in rural and urban survivors, respectively (p = 0.06).ConclusionsA higher proportion of rural survivors reported financial problems associated with their cancer diagnosis and treatment compared to urban survivors. Future research should aim to elucidate these disparities and interventions should be tested to address the cancer-related financial problems experienced by rural survivors.
Project description:BackgroundWHO estimates that about 170,000 deaths by suicide occur in India every year, but few epidemiological studies of suicide have been done in the country. We aimed to quantify suicide mortality in India in 2010.MethodsThe Registrar General of India implemented a nationally representative mortality survey to determine the cause of deaths occurring between 2001 and 2003 in 1·1 million homes in 6671 small areas chosen randomly from all parts of India. As part of this survey, fieldworkers obtained information about cause of death and risk factors for suicide from close associates or relatives of the deceased individual. Two of 140 trained physicians were randomly allocated (stratified only by their ability to read the local language in which each survey was done) to independently and anonymously assign a cause to each death on the basis of electronic field reports. We then applied the age-specific and sex-specific proportion of suicide deaths in this survey to the 2010 UN estimates of absolute numbers of deaths in India to estimate the number of suicide deaths in India in 2010.FindingsAbout 3% of the surveyed deaths (2684 of 95,335) in individuals aged 15 years or older were due to suicide, corresponding to about 187,000 suicide deaths in India in 2010 at these ages (115,000 men and 72,000 women; age-standardised rates per 100,000 people aged 15 years or older of 26·3 for men and 17·5 for women). For suicide deaths at ages 15 years or older, 40% of suicide deaths in men (45,100 of 114,800) and 56% of suicide deaths in women (40,500 of 72,100) occurred at ages 15-29 years. A 15-year-old individual in India had a cumulative risk of about 1·3% of dying before the age of 80 years by suicide; men had a higher risk (1·7%) than did women (1·0%), with especially high risks in south India (3·5% in men and 1·8% in women). About half of suicide deaths were due to poisoning (mainly ingestions of pesticides).InterpretationSuicide death rates in India are among the highest in the world. A large proportion of adult suicide deaths occur between the ages of 15 years and 29 years, especially in women. Public health interventions such as restrictions in access to pesticides might prevent many suicide deaths in India.FundingUS National Institutes of Health.
Project description:The key objective of this research was to estimate out of pocket expenditure (OOPE) incurred by the Indian households for the treatment of childhood infections. We estimated OOPE estimates on outpatient care and hospitalization by disease conditions and type of health facilities. In addition, we also estimated OOPE as a share of households' total consumption expenditure (TCE) by MPCE quintile groups to assess the quantum of the financial burden on the households. We analyzed the Social Consumption: Health (SCH) data from National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) 75th round (2017-18). Outcome indicators were prevalence of selected infectious diseases in children aged less than 5 years, per episode of OOPE on outpatient care in the preceding 15 days, hospitalization in the preceding year and OOPE as a share of households' total consumption expenditure. Our analysis suggests that the most common childhood infection was 'fever with rash' followed by 'acute upper respiratory infection' and 'acute meningitis'. However, the highest OOPE for outpatient care and hospitalization was reported for 'viral hepatitis' and 'tuberculosis' episodes. Among the households reporting childhood infections, OOPE was 4.8% and 6.7% of households' total consumption expenditure (TCE) for outpatient care and hospitalization, respectively. Furthermore, OOPE as a share of TCE was disproportionately higher for the poorest MPCE quintiles (outpatient, 7.9%; hospitalization, 8.2%) in comparison to the richest MPCE quintiles (outpatient, 4.8%; hospitalization, 6.7%). This treatment and care-related OOPE has equity implications for Indian households as the poorest households bear a disproportionately higher burden of OOPE as a share of TCE. Ensuring financial risk protection and universal access to care for childhood illnesses is critical to addressing inequity in care.
Project description:National malaria death rates are difficult to assess because reliably diagnosed malaria is likely to be cured, and deaths in the community from undiagnosed malaria could be misattributed in retrospective enquiries to other febrile causes of death, or vice-versa. We aimed to estimate plausible ranges of malaria mortality in India, the most populous country where the disease remains common.Full-time non-medical field workers interviewed families or other respondents about each of 122,000 deaths during 2001-03 in 6671 randomly selected areas of India, obtaining a half-page narrative plus answers to specific questions about the severity and course of any fevers. Each field report was sent to two of 130 trained physicians, who independently coded underlying causes, with discrepancies resolved either via anonymous reconciliation or adjudication.Of all coded deaths at ages 1 month to 70 years, 2681 (3·6%) of 75,342 were attributed to malaria. Of these, 2419 (90%) were in rural areas and 2311 (86%) were not in any health-care facility. Death rates attributed to malaria correlated geographically with local malaria transmission ratesderived independently from the Indian malaria control programme. The adjudicated results show 205,000 malaria deaths per year in India before age 70 years (55,000 in early childhood, 30,000 at ages 5-14 years, 120,000 at ages 15-69 years); 1·8% cumulative probability of death from malaria before age 70 years. Plausible lower and upper bounds (on the basis of only the initial coding) were 125,000-277,000. Malaria accounted for a substantial minority of about 1·3 million unattended rural fever deaths attributed to infectious diseases in people younger than 70 years.Despite uncertainty as to which unattended febrile deaths are from malaria, even the lower bound greatly exceeds the WHO estimate of only 15,000 malaria deaths per year in India (5000 early childhood, 10?000 thereafter). This low estimate should be reconsidered, as should the low WHO estimate of adult malaria deaths worldwide.US National Institutes of Health, Canadian Institute of Health Research, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute.
Project description:Sun safety research has mainly been conducted in the West, whereas little is known about sun protection practices in India. Using a survey design with a representative sample, we aimed to understand the frequency of sun protection practices in India. We also examined associations between demographic covariates and sun safe behaviours. We surveyed a representative sample (N = 1560) from the Indian population in November 2022. The study variables included sun safe behaviours, sunburn experience, demographic information, and skin tone. We employed descriptive and regression analyses to examine the prevalence of behaviours and their associations. To mitigate potential sampling biases, we applied poststratification weights in the analyses. More than half of the participants (64.2%) routinely performed at least one sun safe behaviour, with only 4.9% of the sample reporting no engagement with sun safe behaviours in the last 12 months. Physical protection (e.g., long sleeves, shade/umbrella) were more common than sunscreen use. Regression analysis showed that higher subjective social status, being younger, and living in one of the Eastern Indian states were the strongest predictors of sun protection practices. Our findings fill an important knowledge gap in global sun safe research, highlighting the urgent need for public sun safety education. Scalable and targeted interventions are needed to promote sun safety awareness and practices among people.
Project description:BackgroundHysterectomy, particularly when conducted in women younger than 45 years, has been associated with increased risk of non-communicable diseases. In India, research indicates that hysterectomy is a common procedure for women, but there have been no studies on its long-term effects. We examined patterns of hysterectomy amongst women in India and associations with their health and well-being in later life.MethodsThis analysis utilised the first wave of the Longitudinal Study on Aging in India, a nationally representative study of adults that included a module on health and well-being. We analysed data on 35,083 women ≥45 years in India. We estimated prevalence of hysterectomy and performed multivariable logistic regression to identify associated risk factors and to examine the association between hysterectomy status and eight self-reported chronic conditions, hospitalisation and mobility.ResultsThe prevalence of hysterectomy among women >=45 years was 11.4 (95% CI: 10.3, 12.6), with higher odds among urban women (aOR: 1.39; 1.17,1.64) and higher economic status (highest compared to lowest quintile: aOR: 1.95; 1.44, 2.63). Hysterectomy history was associated with four chronic conditions: hypertension (aOR: 1.51; 95% CI: 1.28, 1.79), high cholesterol (aOR: 1.43; 1.04, 1.97), diabetes (aOR: 1.69; 1.28, 2.24), and bone/joint disease (aOR: 1.54; 1.20, 1.97) and higher odds of any hospitalisation in the past year (aOR: 1.69; 1.36, 2.09).ConclusionsIn India, evidence suggests that hysterectomy is associated with major chronic conditions. The assessment for hysterectomy as a treatment option for gynaecological morbidity should consider potential health consequences in later life.
Project description:Self-reported measures of health, in the context of developed countries, are well-researched and commonly regarded as reliable predictors of the underlying health of the population. However, the validity of these measures is under-researched and questionable in the context of low- and middle-income countries. The authors used Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) survey data from India to compare self-reported hypertension with biometrically-measured hypertension. The results are reported in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and kappa as a measure of agreement. Logistic regression was undertaken to examine the characteristics of those who were unaware of their hypertensive status. Our analysis showed a low sensitivity of 56% and a high specificity of 90.5%. Agreement between self-reported data and biometric measurement of hypertension was observed to be moderate (κ = 0.48). Large variations were observed among states and sub-groups. The odds of false negative reporting of hypertension were lower in the individuals with higher age, high education, and greater wealth status. The authors conclude that self-reported hypertension has important limitations and may be a source of systematic bias. It is recommended that planning and policy-making in India be based more on an objective assessment of hypertension.
Project description:BackgroundMore than 2·3 million children died in India in 2005; however, the major causes of death have not been measured in the country. We investigated the causes of neonatal and child mortality in India and their differences by sex and region.MethodsThe Registrar General of India surveyed all deaths occurring in 2001-03 in 1·1 million nationally representative homes. Field staff interviewed household members and completed standard questions about events that preceded the death. Two of 130 physicians then independently assigned a cause to each death. Cause-specific mortality rates for 2005 were calculated nationally and for the six regions by combining the recorded proportions for each cause in the neonatal deaths and deaths at ages 1-59 months in the study with population and death totals from the United Nations.FindingsThere were 10,892 deaths in neonates and 12,260 in children aged 1-59 months in the study. When these details were projected nationally, three causes accounted for 78% (0·79 million of 1·01 million) of all neonatal deaths: prematurity and low birthweight (0·33 million, 99% CI 0·31 million to 0·35 million), neonatal infections (0·27 million, 0·25 million to 0·29 million), and birth asphyxia and birth trauma (0·19 million, 0·18 million to 0·21 million). Two causes accounted for 50% (0·67 million of 1·34 million) of all deaths at 1-59 months: pneumonia (0·37 million, 0·35 million to 0·39 million) and diarrhoeal diseases (0·30 million, 0·28 million to 0·32 million). In children aged 1-59 months, girls in central India had a five-times higher mortality rate (per 1000 livebirths) from pneumonia (20·9, 19·4-22·6) than did boys in south India (4·1, 3·0-5·6) and four-times higher mortality rate from diarrhoeal disease (17·7, 16·2-19·3) than did boys in west India (4·1, 3·0-5·5).InterpretationFive avoidable causes accounted for nearly 1·5 million child deaths in India in 2005, with substantial differences between regions and sexes. Expanded neonatal and intrapartum care, case management of diarrhoea and pneumonia, and addition of new vaccines to immunisation programmes could substantially reduce child deaths in India.FundingUS National Institutes of Health, International Development Research Centre, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, and US Fund for UNICEF.